The invention relates to a surfboard. In particular, the invention relates to a motorized surfboard device.
Surfing is the sport of riding a surfboard on the crest of a wave to move toward shore. Therefore, the sport of surfing can only be played in seaside, or where sea wave or artificial sea wave is available. Most surfboards do not provide a surfboard, which can be used for playing the sport of surfing on smooth water surface.
The disadvantages of non-motorized surfboards are well known. Thus, although surfboard riding is mainly a popular sport only along coastal regions, where the surfboard may be driven towards the shore by manipulation of the board along the crests of the waves. Surfboard riding generally has little utility on lakes or even along coastal areas during periods when there is no wave promulgation.
The use of motorized surfboards has been known heretofore. However, the construction of such surfboards, in order to accommodate the motors, has often been complex and expensive and frequently has required such structural modification of the surfboard as to adversely influence the flotation characteristics of the board when in use without the motor. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,778 to Von Smagala-Romanoff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,782 to Gleason, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,166 to Chang disclose powered motorized surfboards of propelling a user. However, these surfboards do not include a motive device with a propeller that reduces possibilities of injuries to the user if the user should fall off the surfboard. Further, the surfboards of Von Smagala-Romanoff and Gleason do not provide a guard or other structure to protect a user from being injured by the propeller of the motive device, in which the motive device that reduces possibilities of injuries to the user if the user should fall off the surfboard.
Further, these above-discussed patents and others known do not include means to prevent the motorized surfboard from traveling away from a fallen user of the motorized surfboard. While a motor of these motorized surfboards may turn off when a user falls off the surfboard, the surfboard itself may have sufficient momentum to travel far away from the user. The typical cord attached to a user""s ankle will not be adequate for these purposes, even with a motor turning off, as the cord can get caught up in the motive device of the motorized surfboard, which, of course, is unsatisfactory. Moreover, if the motor of the motorized surfboard does not turn off while using a cord, the user may be dragged behind the motorized surfboard. This situation could be very dangerous.
Therefore, a need exists for a motorized surfboard device, in which safety of the user is addressed. Also, a need exists for a motorized surfboard device with means to prevent a motorized surfboard from traveling away from the user, if the user falls off of the surfboard.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a motorized surfboard device can be ridden by a rider comprises a surfboard having an underside surface and a top side surface. The motorized surfboard device also includes a motive device mounted on the underside surface of the surfboard. The motive device comprises a motor and a rotatable propeller, in which the motor is connected to the rotatable propeller for rotating the same. The propeller comprises a cylindrical body with a surface configuration including at least one groove in a surface of the rotatable propeller body, wherein the at least one grove defines raised ridges between the at least one groove, the edges of the grooves being rounded, the at least one comprising a depth. The motorized surfboard device including a control apparatus having at least one of a foot-controlled switch, a hand-operated and controlled steering column, and a hand controlled switch. The control apparatus controlling at least one of on/off operation of the motor and variable speed of the motor.
These and other aspects, advantages and salient features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, where like parts are designated by like reference characters throughout the drawings, disclose embodiments of the invention.